GREENBURGH, New York (Eagle News) – No Phil Jackson. No Carmelo Anthony. No media circus. Not a problem for the New York Knicks.
A different vibe surrounded the team’s training camp facility on Monday, leaving the media with questions on what to expect this season after the departure of Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We need some fresh air in here,” says center Kristaps Porzingis, now the face of the Knicks franchise.
Anthony, who spent seven seasons with the Knicks as the team’s leading scorer and the voice of the franchise was traded to the Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a second-round draft pick. The 10-time All-Star forward posted an emotional message of thanks to the city of New York, the Knicks organization and to fans who supported him through thick and thin on his website.
Porzingis, who will now take over as the team’s leading man, shared how grateful he was to have Anthony as a mentor and the excitement of becoming a leader on the court.
“I’m really grateful to have had [Melo] for these two seasons and had the opportunity to learn from him.” said Porzingis. “He was a great leader for us, a great mentor for me and was like a big brother to me. So I’m very thankful for him being around me.”
“Honestly, [Melo] took a lot of pressure off of everybody. We all understand that. He did was always the No. 1 focal point for the other team. And now I’m going to be one of those guys that the other teams will focus on are going to focus on. It’s going to be way different. He drew so much attention. And now there’s going to be more attention on me. I have to be ready for it. It’s going to be different,” said Porzingis.
When asked about the Knicks organization including the new management team of Steve Mills and Scott Perry, Porzingis had nothing but kinds words to say.
“I have faith in those people and I believe they want us to grow. They want me to be in a position where I can succeed. I’m excited. A lot of new things are happening. A lot of new people are here,” Porzingis said.
“I’m coming into this season with a fresh mind. It’s a new season. I want to leave what happened, I want to leave it in the past. The past is the past. I want to talk about this season. I’m just excited to be here,” he added.
Team president Mills and general manager Perry discussed the trade, including the team’s donation of $100,000 to Hurricane Maria relief efforts in Puerto Rico, a cause Anthony campaigned due to his Puerto Rican heritage.
In regards to rebuilding post Melo era, Perry said that the trade added depth in “scoring and aggressiveness to [the] frontcourt and bolstered the team’s perimeter shooting.”
The Knicks began training camp Tuesday and will open the preseason against hometown rival, the Brooklyn Nets on October 3 at Madison Square Garden.
(Eagle News Service, Tennie Sumague, EBC New York Bureau)